Year 850

Erwin stood waiting for her at the gate, flanked by three nervous Scouts, as Katrine stepped out of Nile's carriage and shielded her eyes against the bright morning light. Right on time, just how they'd planned the hour before. When she'd burst into his office just as the sun rose and told him she'd go to Mitras, it was the first thing he'd suggested as if he'd been certain of it all along. It was brilliant. She should have thought of it herself.

"Captain Casimir," he boomed. The busy soldiers in the courtyard halted and conversations died. Even with an empty sleeve hanging limply beside him, his voice still commanded authority.

"It's too late, Erwin. There's nothing you can say to make me change my mind." She folded her arms and put a sour look on her face like she couldn't be bothered to rehash the same argument again.

"You don't have to do this. It won't make you a hero."

"I do, actually. Because if you keep up with this crazy scheme of yours, then it's only a matter of time before Wall Rose is breached for real. And you can forget about Shiganshina."

"These circumstances are delicate and take time. You need to be patient, Katrine," he said as if soothing a screaming child.

"You've had plenty of time, and there are intelligent Titans lurking outside the Walls just waiting to kick them down! How many, three? Who knows how many more are out there?"

"And you think the military police can do a better job of finding them? They'd rather sniff out contraband for themselves than go looking for Titans." The MPs behind her hissed, but she ignored them.

"They're corrupt? You're corrupt! You made me do horrible things! Break into a church, of all places, just because you think the Cult is squirreling away money when those poor nuns are clearly starving!" She gauged Nile's reaction out of the corner of her eye. No indication of surprise passed his face. Just as Erwin suspected, the police had figured that out.

"The military police killed Pastor Nick." That made Nile's face pale. Katrine and Erwin had only found out about Nick's death that morning from Hange, who'd informed them that three men in MP uniforms had been standing outside his door with bruised knuckles. If Nick had been murdered, then it was clear the Cult was hiding something and she had even more of a reason to go to Mitras, though the thought made her legs shake.

"The military police have nothing to do with whatever this is," Nile began, hands placating, but Katrine cut him off.

"How do you know? Huh? Sure is convenient to blame them when they're right here!" She made her voice sound needling and conspiratorial. It was cathartic, in a strange way.

"This is treasonous."

"Treason is what you're doing! You-" She caught a glimpse of Mila standing under the eaves of the compound, Sara hovering behind her, and her voice broke. Mila looked like she'd twisted a knife in her gut. Shit, she was supposed to be asleep! Guilt roared up, slapping her in the face, but she stiffened her spine and continued the tirade. Better they not know anything.

"You're insane! These people," she said, gesturing to the Scouts in the courtyard as her voice rose, "are all going to die, just because you want to be the great conqueror of the Walls and the Titans, and you can drown in their blood! Sure, Erwin, everyone's going to know your name, but it'll be for the wrong reasons."

"Katrine, you're making a mistake," Erwin warned.

"This is ridiculous," Nile said and placed a hand on her shoulder, but quickly removed it when she recoiled.

"Is this enough, Katrine?" Elisabeth murmured from the carriage. She poked her head out and sighed.

Erwin said nothing. But something shifted in his posture. He might have pushed his shoulders back, lowered his chin, but clearly she'd torn a hole in his perfect plan. She'd told him she'd bring someone, but neglected to specify. Elisabeth was the most levelheaded of her squad and the most likely to escape danger unharmed. And if Katrine was going to suffer through Mitras and possibly grind her teeth into dust, Erwin deserved to be nervous, too.

"Yes, Nile, it is ridiculous." She folded her arms, disgusted by the encounter, and climbed back into the carriage with a toss of her head.

"You're sure this is a good idea?" Elisabeth whispered. She looked concerned, a change from the stoic expression she'd worn when Katrine informed her of her plan. She quickly turned her head to the window once Nile followed.

Katrine patted her knee. "Now I know we chose correctly."

A migraine was beginning to bloom at the base of Levi's skull.

He'd watched the entire scene - no, farce - from the third floor window, trying to scrutinize the expression on Katrine's face through the dirty glass. Erwin had his back turned, but Levi could never figure out what he was thinking, anyway.

This made about as much sense as swapping his blades for paper. Sure, he wasn't the one everyone depended on to make things make sense, but he wasn't stupid. When Katrine told him that she wouldn't go to Mitras and looked like she'd rip his head off if he so much as twitched, he'd believed her. So why'd she turn around and climb into Nile's spindly arms to be delivered straight to Hell?

He'd been stupid not to realize what she was. People weren't plucked up from the Underground just to look pretty. Whenever someone touched her, she looked like the ground suddenly vanished beneath her, like she wanted to claw their eyes out and then tear off her skin when she was done. It was mortifying to imagine how idiotic he must have looked when she spat fire at him and burned her throat on memories, and even more painful to think of the things he'd said to her that were, in hindsight, crueler than he'd intended.

He hadn't paid enough attention. He thought he was good at reading her. Reckless, contrarian. All bark and no bite. But that priest hadn't just harmed her; he'd done worse to someone she cared for, someone she'd sworn to protect. And he already knew those wounds, the promises failed, cut to the bone. Maybe she wasn't as selfish as he'd written her off to be, and had a little more bite.

Her expression wasn't like how it was the night before. She was scrubbed clean, teeth bared and glinting blood, unafraid. He looked down at his hands, still expecting there to be dirt or blood staining his fingernails. She'd done it again, making him forget that she too once pulled herself out of the mud, mangled and starving and smelling like decay.

Levi shoved his hands in his pockets. Ignoring all that, the situation still was strange. The words sounded too rehearsed. Katrine almost looked like she was enjoying herself. And why was Erwin just taking it?

No, he realized with sudden clarity as she turned and stepped into the carriage. If this were real, Erwin would have brought up the possibility of people living beyond the Walls. Not in such a way that was obvious to the MPs, but something to remind her. Because when they'd figured out that Titans were really humans, she'd just about looked like she'd discovered she could shit diamonds and Erwin would've been blind not to notice.

What did she know that he didn't? Was it related to the priest? The girl, Victoria, who when Katrine spoke her name looked like she was carving glass into her skin? And Erwin, for that matter. Why hadn't anyone told him anything? The migraine threatened the back of his forehead.

The stairs creaked and Erwin appeared. He had that smirk on his face that came whenever he'd made a bet and won.

"Think you both made enough of a scene out there? That was an act, right?" Levi hated how uncertain he sounded.

Erwin nodded, but didn't stop. "Correct. Always good to have someone you can trust in Mitras."

Levi jogged after him. Goddamn Erwin and his long stride.

"We were going for righteously indignant but slightly unhinged. Believable enough for the MPs, but not so much that other Scouts think the same."

"Right on the money, then."

They reached Erwin's office. It was messier than normal, an indication that he had ten different plans swirling in his mind and half of them already put into motion. Erwin shrugged off his jacket and tossed it on the back of his chair. Levi tensed at the sight of his empty sleeve. It was still unnerving.

"Additionally, I found out what Nile did and didn't know. For instance, that we know about Nick's death and that the MPs had something to do with it," Erwin said, looking out the window. The MP carriages were pulling away.

Levi leaned against the doorframe. "Don't lie, you just wanted to make Nile shit his pants."

Erwin smiled. "That, too."

"You're too good of an actor. I almost believed it all."

"I almost believed her, too."

That was bad. Levi often had to remind himself that Erwin couldn't actually read minds. If Erwin could fall for her lies, then what was a mere mortal like himself supposed to do? He didn't want to pick over every word she'd ever said to him and guess at what she meant. But what she said last night had to be true. No one would ever want it to be true.

"It's all like chess. Now that we've got one piece in position, I have to figure out the next two. Eren and Historia, I mean."

Those offhanded references to pretty things people in the Underground only thought existed in dreams shook up an ugly, jealous feeling. Reminders of what he was not, would never be. Chess, silk. Champagne. Katrine had a leg up on him on those things. Erwin once tried to teach Levi to play chess and he'd sat at the board for hours, absorbing loss after loss, unsure if he just refused to be defeated or if he wanted to prove he could be good at something besides violence.

"What are you, then? The king?"

Erwin chuckled. "Surely you don't think I'm self-centered enough to believe that?"

No, but Erwin was no pawn. He probably wasn't a piece at all but the dark shadow looming above the board. Levi figured Erwin expected him to ask what piece he was, but it didn't matter. Wherever he was placed, he did as he was told.

If Katrine was a piece, too, she didn't follow the rules. She'd move out of turn or push into a space she didn't belong, knocking over others in the process. She'd glare up at Erwin and tell him when to move her. There had to be some reason for leaving that didn't fit into Erwin's agenda.

"So, what am I doing?" he asked, pushing her again to the back of his mind to chase away his migraine. Having a task always helped.

"Leading your new squad. Continuing Eren's training."

Good enough. "Leaving you to do what?"

"I'm going to wait for my own invitation to Mitras."

Levi raised an eyebrow. "What's the deal? There some fancy party I wasn't invited to?"

"Much more interesting. I'm sure the Royal Council will have some questions for me about the so-called breach. I'm curious as to what those will be, and their reactions."

Of course Erwin would wet his pants over a meeting, arguing with a bunch of mustaches in ill-fitting suits. "Getting ready to flap your sleeve at them?"

"Possibly. But I need everyone spread out. Hiding Eren and Historia in the woods, far away from any district, is best. I'll notify you when I need you."

He nodded and left Erwin to his scheming. It was where he excelled, and Levi knew he too should return to what he did best, whipping those cadets into some semblance of order and silencing his wandering, unnecessary thoughts.

Mitras was in shambles. Katrine didn't know whether to cackle or to find somewhere to cower.

"Been this way since Wall Rose was breached," one MP said as she climbed out the carriage, pinching her nose. It smelled of smoke and horse shit. The regularly manicured shrubs were overgrown and the streets clearly had not been cleaned. She watched a man sprint down the street clutching a purse while a woman tottered after him in heels, past heaps of trash and broken windows, and jammed a hand in her waistband for the doll and her mirror, totems to ward off the enemy. But how effective could they be when she didn't know what its face looked like?

"And now that we know it hasn't, I expect things to return to normal soon." Nile stepped out and approached the gate to the headquarters. Katrine rarely passed the serious, imposing building when she'd lived in Mitras; thankfully, the Company was on the other side of the river. He pointed to her and Elisabeth. "You two, with me. The rest of you, form patrols."

They followed Nile into the compound and up a massive flight of steps, watched over by a line of portraits of past commanders. Comically, Nile was the only thin man in the row of portraits, though his long face and sparse facial hair reminded her of a possum. The thought softened the jagged edges of her fear.

Nile's office was far too large for one man to use, paneled in dark wood with rifles displayed on the walls and smelling faintly of cigar smoke. It was nicer than any office she'd ever seen Erwin use. Not even Mr. Kaiser's compared. The afternoon light streamed from a large window overlooking a wide swath of the city, cut in half by the sparkling river. From so far up, Mitras felt less intimidating, like she was a bird that could decide to pass over it entirely.

He took his place behind an ornately carved mahogany desk and Katrine sank into one of the plush velvet chairs opposite him. Feeling tiny, she tried to spread herself out to take up space as she remembered her mission: gather information on the Cult while pushing Nile far off track on what Erwin was really thinking.

"Now, I've suspected for some time that Erwin has goals that aren't in the best interests of the people. But, if you can give me the specifics-"

"He's gone insane! Mad! Off the deep end, rats in the attic, crown's on crooked!"

Nile placed his hands on his desk, unimpressed by her outburst. "The specifics."

"He's obsessed with this theory that the reason the government won't give the Scouts any more funding for expeditions is because they're spending it all on the Church of the Walls. It's been that way ever since our budget got cut. I told him that didn't make sense, because praying's free, but he won't listen! It's like he's taking it as a personal insult, like the government's saying he's wrong!"

He nodded. "Erwin did always hate being wrong."

"He's desperate for funds. He wants rebuilding Wall Maria to be his legacy."

"So that's why he sent Captain Levi and another Scout to break into Edelweiss Cathedral?"

Shit! Those MPs at the cathedral must have had better memories than she and Levi had anticipated, even after being punched in the face. Though did Nile know she was there, too? Was this a trick? "I didn't know you were aware it was him," she said carefully.

"Who else do you know that's short and dark-haired with a murderous expression? Erwin's not stupid enough to let his guard dog out on a rampage unless it's for a reason."

She could have slapped him for that. Instead she dug her nails into her palms.

"It's because he used to be a thief, right?" Nile shrugged. "I suppose one never forgets those skills."

She swallowed and nodded. It felt like a betrayal to admit to that.

"Who was the other? Do you know?"

"It was me," Elisabeth said before she could consider an answer. Katrine's eyes darted from Nile to her. She sat ramrod straight, untroubled hands resting in her lap. This wasn't part of the plan! Elisabeth was supposed to add an air of authority and make the defection more credible, especially since Katrine hadn't deigned to tell Erwin she'd be taking his sister along.

Nile's expression revealed similar surprise. "I...see." His shock seemed genuine.

"We were looking for something to prove his theory that the royal government was purposefully underfunding the Scouts by providing money to the Church, or documents that showed where the Church's funds were located." Her voice was smooth and easy. Had she always been such a good liar?

"That makes sense. If it were a robbery, then more would be missing besides just an ashtray." He sighed. "I can't believe Erwin commanded that of his own sister."

Elisabeth nodded stiffly.

"Now, you too mentioned a church," Nile said to Katrine. "Where was this?"

"Ehrmich," she lied. "Erwin ordered me, and my subordinate, to infiltrate a church. She is much too young and impressionable. Joining the Scouts is her dream and this is what she gets?" She slapped her hands on her armrests. "After that I couldn't take it anymore."

"What did you find there?"

She shrugged. "Musty books and candlesticks."

Nile pursed his lips in a way that made her suspicious. "Yesterday, a priest was assaulted in Trost. Father Lucian, a very esteemed man. He claimed it was a robbery and said it was too dark to see his assailant's face." Katrine stilled her breathing and tried to ignore the memories of Lucian's slashed face and the spray of blood, bruises on a pale neck.

"But, his injuries seemed too violent for a simple robbery," he continued. "And, he was left outside. Why rob a priest when obviously his church would have money?"

"It's possible a refugee robbed him and went too far. Even with how farfetched Erwin's theory is, it's clear the Church has money. Maybe they were angry about it."

"You don't know that," Elisabeth said. What the hell are you doing, Katrine screamed in her head. Even though she hadn't told Elisabeth of her involvement with Lucian, this was too close. "And Erwin said earlier that Pastor Nick was killed in Trost, too. But by the MPs."

Katrine gasped. Perfect! Elisabeth wasn't the only genius in the family. "So he's pinning these crimes against the Church on the military police!"

Elisabeth turned to Nile. "You need to send MPs to Trost to protect the priests. Anywhere the Scouts are, they're in danger."

"I'll make my own decisions once I have more evidence." He cleared his throat. "Tell me, why did you leave?"

Katrine sniffed, acting indignant. "Well, I-"

"No. You." He pointed to Elisabeth.

Her reaction indicated no surprise. Instead, she gazed back at him, unblinking, and then raised her chin a fraction, revealing the tanned skin of her neck. Katrine tensed.

"As you know, Nile, our father died when I was young."

He nodded.

"Everyone always said it was an accident," she said, her voice low and deliberate. "But that's a lie. He was murdered."

Katrine turned her head before she could think not to show her surprise. Elisabeth never spoke of her family. Her chin rose a bit more, expression turning defiant.

"My father was murdered because Erwin was careless. Spouting off theories with no care as to who'd hear? Even after Father warned him!" She shoved a lock of hair behind her ear, her brow contorted in rage. "Ridiculous things. Dismissing every lesson as a lie? Questioning who keeps us safe? And afterwards I had no one. He didn't want to see Father's eyes reflected in mine." Her words flew out like knives and Katrine shrank into her chair. Nile too seemed to press himself backwards. "I wasn't like everyone else who joined the Scouts because they wanted to keep humanity safe from Titans. I joined to keep humanity safe from him. Someone needs to be there if he starts believing fever dreams about the Wall Cult's hidden treachery or closing up Wall Maria." She learned forward, pinning him with her gaze. "Like right now."

Nile said nothing, his mouth slightly agape like a dead fish. An awkward silence settled over them.

"Um, Nile, I just remembered something," Katrine said cautiously, and was relieved when Elisabeth settled back into her seat. "I saw a paper on his desk. It looked like a blueprint of something, and it had these rooms that said 'vault' on them. Erwin had a bunch of arrows going in and out around it. I think it's a bank, probably the one in Yarckel."

He shut his mouth and straightened, recovered from Elisabeth's assault. "Did he tell you anything more?"

"No. But he really is desperate to see what's beyond the Walls."

"I certainly imagine losing an arm isn't good for his mental state."

Elisabeth nodded as if in complete agreement.

"Well, I'd like to thank you for this information. Doing this couldn't have been easy." Nile stood, offering his hand for them to shake.

"It was the right thing to do," Katrine said as she stood and took his hand. It was clammy and his grip was too strong.

"I commend you for it. I'll let you know of your new assignments within a few days."

Katrine and Elisabeth saluted and left the office. As soon as she closed the Nile's door, she pounced. "What were you thinking?" she snapped, voice low. "You scared the shit out of me!"

"It looks weird if I don't say anything." Elisabeth strode down the hallway, away from the main stairwell, leaving Katrine to run after her.

"Then why'd you say you were in the cathedral in Stohess? If I wanted you to say that, I would have told you! And where are you going?"

"If Nile knows you were at two churches, then it's obvious Erwin sent you specifically. Just one, it's only an order you're following. And now he's wondering who else he told to sneak around churches, and where else."

Good point. But if Elisabeth was so comfortable with lying to Nile, and speaking so harshly about Erwin, she had to be planning something.

"Did you mean all that? What you said about Erwin?"

"Mostly." Her jaw clenched.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

She didn't respond, but her speed picked up and Katrine grabbed her arm to stop her.

"But, Elisabeth, If your father was killed by anyone, it would be the MPs."

Elisabeth finally turned. An odd shadow passed over her, a resolved but melancholy expression Katrine hadn't seen on her face before but reminded her of Erwin. It made her pulse quicken.

"Why else do you think I came?" she said, like it was utterly obvious.

Katrine's nerves, briefly held at bay, jolted back to life. She silently followed her down the hallway and placed a hand over her neck as Elisabeth opened the door to a smaller stairwell, shielding her soft parts, when they found their path blocked.

A giant man filled the staircase, taller than both of them even when a few steps down. His ropy arms had to be thicker than her legs. Instinctively she stepped behind Elisabeth, but not before she watched a slow smile split his face, revealing one gold canine.

"Found you," he said, voice echoing. "You're coming with me."

The bar was packed, as if everyone in Mitras believed they could forget what was going on outside by cramming themselves together and disappearing in a collective alcohol-infused fog.

The large man, Andreas, led them to a table already occupied by a small olive-skinned woman who introduced herself as Nadine. A girl no older than Mila with cropped brown hair stood behind her but remained silent, a scowl marring her otherwise pretty face. Andreas collapsed into his chair with a flourish, one hand outstretched to display his prize. Glasses of whiskey sat waiting for them.

"So! You've left the Scouts and joined the MPs. May you forever look back on this decision as the best you ever made in your lives." Andreas threw back his drink and slammed down the glass and Nadine did the same. Katrine sat and followed their lead. The liquor burned her throat and she coughed.

"Whaaat? Don't tell me you're a lightweight. I'm sure you Scouts drink more than we do." Despite the fact that he'd advised them to take off their jackets and turn them inside out to avoid any fights, Andreas seemed happy to point out what they were. He waved at the girl. "Pond Scum! Another round!" She grit her teeth and made her way to the bartender.

"Don't go too far," Nadine warned. "Prices are up."

"It's a celebration! Believe me, I'm desperate for something after the shit week I've had." The girl brought back four more glasses of whiskey and Andreas snatched his and guzzled it, belching afterwards. Katrine took two tiny sips. She needed to stay alert.

"Fortunately for you, you get to skip first year traditions." He tilted his head towards the girl, who'd resumed her place behind Nadine.

"What's your name?" Katrine asked.

"It's-"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk!" Andreas waggled a finger. "You don't get a name until the next round of cadets come in and you're not fresh meat anymore. Now, who are you?"

She sighed. "Pond Scum."

"'Atta girl." He winked and Katrine brought her glass to her lips to hide her grimace.

Nadine pinched the bridge of her nose. "It really has been a shit week."

"What do you mean?" Katrine asked.

"Well, well! Am I glad you asked." Andreas stacked his now-empty glass inside the old one so hard she was certain it cracked. "When word came that Wall Rose fell, this place imploded. Fires, looting, broken arms over the last loaf of bread. Even the nuts with more money than they know what to do with ransacked the banks. And guess who has to clean it all up?"

Nadine nudged Pond Scum and she dashed to the bar.

"And because you Scouts can't do anything without whining, the government decides to send half of us to help you stop the breach. And I can count on one hand how many came back." Katrine watched the gold tooth blink behind his shiny lips. "I think your commander brought us in as cannon fodder to keep more Scouts alive. Pathetic."

Elisabeth made no reaction. Katrine tried to keep both her and Andreas in her line of sight, preparing for the worst.

"A lot of good men died. People I knew from my training years." He glared at Katrine like it was her own fault.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

Pond Scum dropped off four more glasses, and Andreas's stormy expression lifted. Katrine hadn't even finished her second; how was she supposed to keep up?

"Thanks, honey." He made a move to pat her hip but she swerved out of the way in time. She must've had practice. Katrine took a swig of whiskey, relishing the sting, but just as Andreas looked away Elisabeth slid her hand over and took Katrine's new glass. She drained it as quickly as she had the other.

Katrine kicked her foot. "What are you doing?" she hissed, just as Andreas started to brag to Nadine about calming a riot.

"Being natural. We need to match them."

"But you're on your fourth!" Even so, Elisabeth's face showed no sign of a flush. Her hand hadn't even trembled when she picked up the glass.

She shrugged. "He's right. You are a lightweight. You need to keep a clear head."

Elisabeth was right. Katrine couldn't drink two beers without starting to giggle. She surveyed the crowd, unsure if she was trying to gather information or find familiar faces. The alcohol had done little to ease her anxiety.

"Alright, Nadine, I finally got two Scouts in front of me that are drunk enough to answer the burning question that's nagged me for years." He leaned back and grinned. "I'm doing it."

"Don't," she warned.

He slapped a hand on the table and the glasses jumped. "Cap-tan Lee-vai. You know the guy."

Katrine picked up her glass and held it to her face as if it could protect her. "Yes." She'd tried not to think about him, how foolish she'd been to blurt out everything that'd happened as if that would change his mind. He probably thought she was stupider than he had before, still weak and dirty, the kind no amount of bleach could fix.

"Personally." The smile on Andreas's face made the hair on her arms stiffen.

"You're so embarrassing," Nadine groaned.

"Tell me. Does he fuck?"

Her face ignited. No words came. It must have looked like she'd drained every drop of alcohol in the place.

"See, I'm certain he does, being 'Humanity's Greatest' and all, but Nadine here says he's too short."

"I never said that!"

"Well, I bet you've thought about it."

No!

"No! I've seen him only once, and that was when he bludgeoned that Titan boy at the military tribunal, so I certainly wasn't thinking about it."

"He killed twenty Titans in ten seconds. He's positively drowning in it."

Katrine gulped the remainder of her whiskey and wished she had the other glass to choke the thoughts racing inside her skull.

"Come on! Does he?"

"I- I...don't know?" she squeaked.

"Seriously?" He deflated. "What about you?"

Elisabeth shrugged like he'd just asked about the weather.

"You're twice his size, anyway." He sighed. "You both are useless. And you don't even talk," he accused Elisabeth.

"I just like to listen," she said. "Your stories are fascinating."

He grinned, missing Elisabeth's sardonic tone.

"So, what do you MPs do to keep yourselves busy?" Katrine already knew and hoped for time to let her face cool. MPs demanded freebies from the butcher, swigged whiskey from paper bags, and turned the other cheek to crimes they couldn't exploit. The one stationed near the Company liked to leer at them as they walked down the steps.

"Lots of things," Andreas said casually, but he sat up straighter. "Keep the peace, resolve disputes, solve problems. Just having a presence makes the people feel safer. We're trained better than Garrison soldiers, so that's why Mitras is such a great place to live."

"We're very happy to be here."

"Nadine here has the best job out of all of us."

She beamed. "I work at the Queen's Orphanage."

"Oh," Katrine cooed, one hand over her heart. "Where is it?"

"Right outside the Cathedral of the Three Sisters. I help move them in, get them settled. Learn to trust us. It's amazing, seeing them come in scared and hungry and transform into little lords and ladies!" She giggled, a beatific flush spreading across her cheeks. "People in Mitras are so kind. I haven't seen any child stay there for more than a month."

"Where do they come from? Not Mitras, I assume?"

"No, certainly not. We take children in from all over, but mostly from poor farming villages. Even from…" She pointed to the floor. "You know."

Katrine smiled and nodded. Bullshit. Underground, there were far too many parentless children to fit in one orphanage. And by the way the adults acted at the Company, no one would want to welcome a dirty rat into their home. Maybe this was simply a publicity stunt to draw up favor for the royal family. But then where did Josephine's story fit in, or what Lucian said about little innocent souls? Or could his words even be trusted?

"If Mitras is such a great place, then why are they rioting, too? Don't they have enough food?" Elisabeth asked.

Andreas's face pinched and Katrine kicked her again. Play nice!

He motioned with his head to the bar and Pond Scum darted off again. "Of course there's enough food. What kind of animals do you think we are? Here, it's not like how it is in the outer Walls. But since you Scouts can't do your job, it's only a matter of time before it does."

"It'll be fine," Nadine assured. "Things should go back to normal soon."

"Really, it's ruined everything. I got pulled from my nice, cushy assignment at the gallery to wait on Father Cain."

"Oh, no! He's a cretin," Nadine said with a shudder.

"Right, and he's terrified about what happened in Trost. Says I'm not good enough, wants his regular back, but even priests can't argue with 'special assignments' from the government." He curled his fingers in the air, rolling his eyes.

"Priests in the Church of the Walls get their own protection from the MPs?" Katrine asked.

"Well, yes and no. Low-level ones do, but the big shots like Father Cain get someone from the First Interior Squad."

"The what?"

"First Interior. They're a subset of the MPs, but they don't answer to the same people we do." He waggled his eyebrows at Nadine. "I heard they answer directly to the king's council, not Commander Dok."

He didn't seem to notice the side-eyed look from Nadine, but Katrine did. "What do they do?"

Nadine shrugged. "Nobody really knows. But they're the cream of the crop, so I guess they're just best suited to guarding the important people." She leaned back in her chair and gestured to Andreas. "Hey, you remember Caven from our first year? She's joined the First Interior. I haven't heard from her in ages."

"I saw her a little while back but she wouldn't give me the time of day. Guess they're too important for us little people."

"It sounds like too much work. I don't want to die guarding some minister from a robbery who won't even remember my name." Watching their expressions, Katrine traced a circle of condensation left behind on the table by an empty glass. Where could she find information on a sect of the MPs that wasn't even answerable to Nile?

"Yeah, but they get whatever they want. The best guns, meat, housing. Forty-year-old wine. Double our pay." Pond Scum dropped off four more glasses and Andreas downed his. "I bet," he said with a hiccup, "they get coderoin personally delivered to them!"

"They don't have time for that." Nadine sipped her whiskey. "And these stupid ideas are why you'll never get tapped for it."

"Whatever. I heard they get free admission backstage at the Mitras Company." Katrine's finger froze.

"That's just a dirty rumor," Nadine sniffed.

"Not a rumor if you've been," Andreas said with another horrible wink.

The whiskey in her stomach curdled, evaporating into a gas that floated up into her mouth and nostrils, threatening to tear through the membranes and eat through her skin. Everyone in the bar stopped speaking, turning their heads all at once to stare at her, and soon they would all lift up their hands and point, look at the filthy slut who weaseled her way in!

Andreas tapped his forehead like he was trying to remember something. "Wasn't there a Scout who-"

"She died." Katrine shoved back her chair, grabbing her jacket and twisting it in her hands. "I should go." Her voice sounded like it came from the other side of the room.

Andreas threw up his hands. "No! We're having such a good time!"

"I know, but I...don't feel so well." She smiled ruefully and placed a hand on her stomach. "Too much to drink."

"Do you need me to show you back?" Nadine asked.

"Um, no, I'll be fine."

"Are you sure? It's been pretty hairy at night, since the breach."

"I was in the Scouts, remember?" She laughed, a fake laugh that was impossible to believe.

Elisabeth shot her a look, one that could either signal worry or irritation.

"You stay!" She squeezed Elisabeth's shoulder. "Have fun." She turned and pushed her way through hordes of sweaty bodies until she found the door and burst outside onto the porch, panting, the alcohol churning in her stomach and preparing to surge up her throat.

A hand pressed her shoulder. "Are you alright-"

"I'm fine!" She jumped down the steps in one leap and ran into the dark, the names of streets and landmarks piecing themselves together in her mind but just as suddenly vanishing, until she stumbled into an alleyway and collapsed. Pathetic, that's what this is, blowing a perfect opportunity to gather intel! She fumbled for the mirror in her pocket and pressed the cold metal to her forehead, trying to breathe but the smell of whiskey on her breath sent her reeling again.

A group of carousers tramped past, bellowing laughter, and she curled into the shadows and clapped a hand over her mouth. How'd you think it would be, better than last time? They were going to find her, encircle her and rip at her clothes. Her nails dug into her cheek and her eyes stung. Quiet! Be quiet! But the noise faded. They hadn't noticed her. She crawled out, palms scraping against the ground, and peered out into the street. Nothing. She pushed herself up and yanked at her hair, feeble legs finding strength again, and steadied herself against the cold brick wall. It's fine. Overreacting. Didn't even drink that much. It would be easy enough to find where the military headquarters were, and she knew the roads that would take her there with a wide berth to the Company.

Skulking in the shadows and avoiding people, Katrine made her way to the compound where she'd spent the afternoon. She didn't know what time it was, but it was late enough that the windows were dark and two MPs with rifles stood guarding the locked gate. One lowered his when she approached.

"Hey! Step back, civilian."

"I'm, um, the new one. From the Scouts, see?" She held up her jacket and smiled. "Katrine Casimir?"

"Hm. You're sure out late." Boredom replaced the suspicion in his tone.

"Why'd you quit?" the other asked as he unlocked the gate.

"Oh, such a long story, and I really need to get to bed…" Katrine slipped between the gates just as he removed the chain. "I'll tell you later, okay?" She smiled and waved as she ran to the door, muttering a curse between clenched teeth.

The MP headquarters was immense: seven floors of offices, libraries, barracks, and who knew what else. Knowing the row of portraits of commanders stared down at her from the top of the stairwell didn't help. She tiptoed up the stairs, retracing her steps to Nile's office, where she assumed other offices would be. In that hallway, each door was closed, and every handle refused to budge when pressed. Not taking any chances, Katrine thought as she slipped down the stairs to the next floor, which opened up into a storeroom of weapons. She held in a groan as she surveyed the racks of rifles and untarnished blades. The best tactic would be to find a church, preferably the Cathedral of the Three Sisters, but that was at the heart of the royal palace and no one got in there without permission. And whatever her new assignment was to be, she might not have much time.

Footsteps to her left broke the silence. Katrine crouched beneath a workbench near the entryway, straining to hear the voices coming her way.

"...embarrassing, really. Disrespected by a senior officer and your own sister."

"He didn't look embarrassed. He looked like he always does." Nile's voice.

"You don't believe what they said about Commander Smith, did you?"

"Who knows. It matched up with what's happened so far, but it's also believable that Erwin would concoct such a scheme."

"I believe the story the sister told. She really sounded like she wanted revenge. But the other one seems a little deranged." Good, that was the point, but the other man acted like he knew exactly what they'd said. Did Nile have some sort of listening device in his office?

"Don't worry about her. I've got a place that'll keep her much too busy to be any trouble."

"What about the sister?"

"Keeping her close. She's the one to be worried about," Nile said as the stairs creaked beneath him. "She can sweep the streets for all I care, but I'm not letting her out of my sight."

The other man hummed in agreement. Katrine crawled out from beneath the table to catch a glimpse of the two men before they disappeared up the stairs. Nile, definitely, but who was the other? More importantly, she and Elisabeth were going to be split up, and she needed to warn her.

She waited for their footsteps to disappear and then flew down the stairs. Maybe Elisabeth was still at that bar, and if not, Katrine had to find her and warn her before anyone else got to her. With a thud she landed at the bottom and opened the door, closing it softly behind her, and then slammed right into the bony chest of a bald, liver-spotted MP.

The man was ancient, old enough that he should have retired before she was born. He had the papery wings of a moth for skin, like it would rip if she'd jostled him any harder, and fingers gnarled and twisted like dead tree branches. He knocked his head back in pain and for a second she thought she'd killed him, until he wheezed an indignant "excuse me!"

"I'm sorry, sir, I-"

"Miss Casimir, I presume?" He spoke like he kept a lozenge under his tongue. "Your manners are sorely lacking."

That's Captain to you. "How did you know?"

"The one with the face of a tart on a soldier's body? You fit the description."

She imagined for a delicious moment knocking that misshapen head off his hunchbacked spine.

The man pulled out a pocket watch from his jacket and squinted at it. "At least you're up early." He turned and shuffled to the door, beckoning her to follow. "Your assignment begins today. The carriage is waiting."

The carriage swept them out of Mitras and onto a forest path, the morning light streaming between the trees. The old man, Lieutenant Fischer, hadn't answered her demands to know where they were going, acting as if he were hard of hearing. They could be going anywhere: a lord's estate, a farm, a torture chamber far removed from civilization so no one could hear her scream. As she peered out the window, committing the route to memory, she absentmindedly stroked the fabric of the new jacket emblazoned with the MP sigil the driver had passed to her. Wherever they had their jackets made, it was certainly not the same place the Scouts did. This was real wool, with a smooth cotton lining embroidered with unicorns. Levi would be jealous. She rolled her eyes at the silly thought. But it was a comfort to imagine what he'd say instead of where she was going and whatever Nile had in store for Elisabeth. A potent mixture of fear and exhaustion made her limbs feel like stone.

Soon they reached a gilded gate, and after being waved through, spires came into view above the horizon. The trees gave way to lush green lawns spotted with fountains and statues of soldiers and horses expertly carved from marble. Shrubs manicured in the shape of fantastical creatures guarded the road, while- was that a peacock?

Katrine turned to Fischer. "Is this-"

"The royal palace." The old man lifted his chin like he himself was the king.

The carriage stopped and a footman in scarlet livery opened the door, offering his arm. She took it and stepped out, immediately swallowed by the shadow of the palace and the heady scent of roses.

For The Royal Fritzes the stage designers had recreated the palace, but painted wood and silk flowers failed to represent the magnificence of the real thing. The palace was enormous, large enough to fit the Survey Corps a hundred times over and all their horses, with golden columns gleaming next to every window. But the gardens stole her attention and sucked the breath right out of her. Flowers of every kind rippled in the wind, the soft and delicate mixed with the spikey and imperial, planted in hypnotic swirls. Deep violet, ochre, cerulean; she wanted to dance through them and run her fingers over their petals and disappear inside their perfume, forgetting about the awful reason she was even in Mitras.

"I expect your best behavior," Fischer said. "And stop your gaping."

Katrine tore her eyes away from the gardens and followed, clasping her hands behind her back as they entered the palace.

Three servants guided them down a stately hallway, steps echoing off the vaulted ceilings and passing tables displaying vases and porcelain figurines that looked like they would break if she breathed on them. Paintings covered the walls, ranging from portraits and fantastical landscapes to fruit and children sprouting wings. She searched for the code that appeared on the Cult's paintings, but found nothing, and shifted her focus to watching her reflection walk alongside her in the polished black tiles, keeping her fingers clenched tightly behind her. In her mind, the list of trinkets she itched for grew and grew.

They turned, right then left and right again, past countless rooms and stairwells and a rather ludicrous display of swords next to a painting larger than the practice room mirror at the Company depicting a man slaying a Titan. King Fritz certainly had never even seen a Titan! And how did anyone not get lost?

Finally, they entered a drawing room containing a circle of velvet chairs and a delectable spread of breakfast, but oddly, it was empty.

Fischer turned to a servant. "She…?"

"Your Highness! Please, put on your dressing gown!" a female voice cried.

"If I have visitors so desperate for my company at this hour, they can bear to see me like this." A young woman swept into the room with the air of someone born important, bare feet sinking into plush carpet and blonde curls cascading down her back, trailed by a frantic maid. Only a loose white nightgown covered her slim frame, but Katrine could see the intricate lace and sheen of silk. Fischer sank into a bow and clapped her on the back to do the same. Unable to stop herself, she looked up, admiring the woman's flawless complexion and hair that had to be soft as a rabbit's. She's perfect, Katrine thought. Like a much prettier version of herself.

"Your Highness, may I introduce to you Captain Katrine Casimir," Fischer said, rising, and she followed. "As she was a former member of the Survey Corps, Commander Dok believes she will be a suitable candidate to stand as your bodyguard."

Katrine suddenly forgot her jealousy. She was assigned to be the personal guard to the princess? Princess Helena, eldest daughter of the very King Fritz Erwin thought to be a fake?

Helena ignored them, tossing herself on a settee. Another servant glided to her side and presented a newspaper. "Oh, Fish, why do you bother? I don't need one, and the last was a terrible bore." She flicked open the newspaper.

"His Royal Highness the king ordered it," Fischer said, reddening at the nickname.

With a dismissive hmm that only the wealthy could muster, Helena lowered the newspaper and turned sleepy eyes to her. They widened and Katrine dropped her gaze. "Oh!" She held a hand up to her perfect pink lips to stifle a giggle, but it turned into a loud snicker, decidedly unladylike.

"Your Highness?" Fischer reddened further. "Is there a problem?"

"I remember you." Helena grinned, white teeth gleaming. "You stole my necklace."